This is part 3 of the series "How to convert the
Waveterm into a real computer."
Part 1, "Attaching a keyboard," can be found here.
Part 2, "Activating the serial interface", can be found here.

How do you convert a Waveterm into a real computer?

The hardware requirements for a real Waveterm computer have already been
described in the previous two parts. The actions described here rely on a
Waveterm that's connected to the PC over the keyboard connector as well as over
the serial connector. If you haven't done that yet, do it NOW... you'll need it!

Attention: for now, this part and the previous one are limited to the
Waveterm A and upgraded Waveterm B series based on an Eurocom II motherboard, as the
later version of the Waveterm B unfortunately doesn't have a serial interface. I'm
sorry, folks. Really.

Breaking the barriers

The Waveterm makes it unnecessarily difficult to exchange data with other
devices. There are quite some barriers:

there are two kinds of Waveterms: older ones with 8" floppy disk
drives and younger ones with 5 1/4" drives. Data transfer between the
two types is impossible.

as the inclined reader already knows, the Waveterm A is based on the FLEX
operating system. This has been invented before anybody could foresee the
position the IBM PC would take... and uses a completely incompatible disk
format. I haven't found a program yet that would allow me to write FLEX
disks on my PC, apart from the fact that most today's PCs can't even read or
write 256-byte sectors any more (tested... my older PCs can do it, my
younger ones won't). At least it's already possible to read the disks into
the PC (see my Waveterm Library on that).

Result: it is practically impossible to use today's communication
possibilities, such as sound exchange via the Internet.

It was impossible. With the hardware add-ons already presented (with a
value of approximately US$15, if you buy expensive parts... at computer junk
part dealers it can be far cheaper), a null modem cable and the software
described and presented here you can transfer files as well as complete disk
images from and to the Waveterm.

Software

Don't panic, it's virus-free and doesn't send back any secret informations!
Just self-extracting archive... all files must be placed in the same
directory. These are (in order of their appearance below):

wtainit.exe

save.low

ftkbd.cmd

terminal.cmd

xmodem.cmd

flex.wta

The next step is to format two disks on the Waveterm (for the daring
adventurers one is enough) and to fill one of them with the Waveterm system -
after all, we wouldn't want to ruin our original disk, would we? Ready? OK,
let's go...

A quiet hour

First, connect (with Waveterm turned off!) the keyboard adapter cable to the
PC's parallel port and to the keyboard connector on the Waveterm. Then, connect
the two devices with the null modem cable.

Now, start the WTAINIT program on the PC. This is a DOS program that
runs under DOS, Windows 3, 95, 98, ME (but not under NT/2000... sorry... create
a DOS boot disk with the files above, they should fit on a 1.44MB disk without
any problems). This is an expanded version of the keyboard simulation program
already presented here.

Now you have to decide upon one of the following two equivalent methods to
open up the Waveterm...

Method 1 - Quick And Dirty

Turn the Waveterm on WITHOUT an inserted System Diskette (if using a Waveterm
B with Eurocom II motherboard, please boot it with the Reformat 68000 diskette
to start the Waveterm A mode). The Monitor
prompt should appear:

PPG WAVE-TERM (B)
>

Now put the prepared System Diskette copy into the System drive. If the
keyboard adapter cable works, you should now be able to boot the Waveterm by
pressing the D key - this triggers a "Disk Boot" action in the
monitor.

Directly after that (in the first two seconds or so) you must press CTRL+X
- this interrupts the boot process (if you were too slow, the normal PAGE 0
should appear). After that, a slightly weird text should be visible on the
Waveterm screen, like that:

PPG WAVE-TERM
>G ,YY)?
>

This means that FLEX has been loaded and that the Monitor has been
reactivated. Now enter GCD03. Don't ask what that's supposed to do, just
do it :-)
As a result, you should now see the FLEX prompt:

PPG WAVE-TERM
>G ,YY)?
>G CD03

+++

Method 2 - Slow And Dirty

Turn on the Waveterm WITH an inserted System Diskette (if using a
Waveterm B with Eurocom II motherboard, please boot it with the Reformat 68000
diskette to start the Waveterm A mode, then insert the Waveterm A System
Diskette). Wait, calm and
relaxed, until PAGE 0 is displayed, then press Ctrl+F in WTAINIT, and
then ESCAPE on the Waveterm's mini keyboard. When done, the expected PAGE
1 doesn't come up, but only a small "+"-Prompt and a blinking
cursor... the PPG makers have implemented a small backdoor here that allowed
them to exit from the application. If you don't like the deranged screen
contents, you can press Ctrl+L and Return now to clear the screen.

Doors Wide Open

If you've made it this far, press F8 in WTAINIT. It will then tell you
all the above stuff again and asks the question:Is all set up correctly? <Y/N>If you press Y now, you can relax and lean back now... with that,
you've started a process that takes about 40 minutes. During this time, all
necessary files are sent over the keyboard adapter cable that are absolutely
necessary to allow file transfer over the serial interface later on. If you're
using Windows, you can use that time to start and configure your favorite
terminal emulation (for example, you can use the HyperTerminal software that
should be included with Windows; it isn't important which program you use, it
just has to be able to exchange files with the XMODEM protocol):

As soon as WTAINIT has done its work, you have all you need for a rudimentary
file transfer on the Waveterm.

Communicate!

One of the transferred programs is called TERMINAL.CMD. Using this program
you can put the Waveterm into "Terminal Mode" - the possibility to
drive the Waveterm with a serial terminal is a basic capability that-s already
implemented in the Monitor, so the program's comparatively minute. Place
the Waveterm into Terminal Mode now:

+++TERMINAL ON

If all worked as planned and soldered, you shouldn't see any more changes on
the Waveterm screen - but your terminal emulation should now show the FLEX
Prompt +++. All other things can be done with the terminal emulation (which
eases the process greatly if Waveterm and PC are placed at a greater distance).

Do you want a nearly complete FLEX environment? For that, the big file
FLEX.WTA is part of the package... and that's what we'll now put on the prepared
empty diskette.

For that, enter

+++XMODEM GETDISK

at the FLEX prompt now. XMODEM is a small program that can send or receive
files and disk images. If you enter XMODEM without any parameters, it will tell
you what they are. After haveing been started, it will prompt you to place a
formatted disk into the right drive; when that's done, press Return and start
sending the file FLEX.WTA in the terminal emulation. If you're in a really
adventurous mood, you can remove the injured PPG system disk from the left drive
and put it into the right drive.

This process takes about half an hour. As soon as it is finished, you'll find
a relatively complete FLEX system diskette in the right drive that you can use
instead of the normal PPG System disk at any time to exchange files and disk
images between the Waveterm and your PC.

FLEX documentation can be found for free at the Flex User Group
site - much fun!

How's AUTOEXEC.BAT called here?

If you want to use this FLEX system disk in Terminal Mode exclusively, you
can create a startup file on the disk now. Place it in the left drive and create
your first FLEX file by entering

+++BUILD ST.TXT

ST.TXT is the name of the file that's executed on a normal Waveterm System
Disk to start the PPG software. This is nonstandard FLEX behavior, but
implemented like that in the Monitor. BUILD is a rudimentary editor that allows
to enter lines into a file. So, enter the lines:

TERMINAL ON
#

The # command writes out the new text file. Additionally, you have to copy a
file:

+++COPY EXEC.CMD X.CMD

If you boot from the disk now, it
will put the Waveterm into Terminal Mode at once, and all operation can be
controlled from the PC, so you won't need the keyboard adapter cable any more.

What comes next?

By now, you should have everything you need to exchange files and disk images
between the PC and the Waveterm, and to use the Waveterm as a real computer.
Maybe I'll add additional "features" in the future, so you might come
back here to see what's new now and then.

I would like to create a disk images library, analog to the existing Waveterm
Library, that allows all Waveterm A users on this world with Internet access
to share as many sounds as possible. For that, I'd need your help - please send
me as many disk images as you can create! Thank you very much... after all, it's
for your benefit, too, if you can find new sounds here that have been created by
other users.